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Hi Vicki;
Welcome to our forum. Here is what I was able to find out!
Osteoarthritis: Like LUPUS, this is a connective tissue disease. Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage in the joints to wear down and this, in turn, causes pain and stiffness in the joints. When people talk about getting older and starting to get "arthritis", they are talking about osteoarthritis. It is one of the oldest and most common diseases known to man. So, it is possible to suffer from osteoarthritis and Lupus arthritis at the same time.
Lupus can also affect your joints. It also can affect your muscles, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, nervous system and other organs. Some of the warning signs are: scaly, round sores on the face, neck and chest; skin rashes (sometimes shaped like a butterfly); fever; weakness; joint pain; swollen glands; hair loss.
Fibromyalgia: Unfortunately, many-many of us who suffer from LUPUS also suffer with Fibromyalgia. 90% of persons who suffer from FM are women. FM is a condition..not a disease. It can be extremely painful with debilitating fatigue..but it is not life-threatening (Like Lupus can be). The most common symptoms of FM are joint and muscle pain throughout the body; especially in the jaw, neck and shoulders. You may also have painful muscle cramps or spasm - muscle weakness, sleep disturbances and functional bowel symptoms (similar to irritable bowel syndrome)

ELAVIL -GENERIC NAME: amitriptyline. Also known as: Endep

Amitriptyline is an antidepressant medication. Depressionis an all-pervasive sense of sadness and gloom. In some patients with depression, abnormal levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters may relate to their depression. Amitriptyline elevates mood by raising the level of neurotransmitters in brain tissue. However, it has recently been used more and more for pain management in connective tissue diseases, especially Fibromyalgia.
It is usually given in the following doses: 10mg, 25mg, 50mg, 75mg, 100mg, 150mg.
PRESCRIBED FOR:Amitriptyline is used to elevate the mood of patients with depression. Amitriptyline is also a sedative, and is useful in depressed patients with insomnia, restlessness, and nervousness. It has also been found to be helpful for treating fibromyalgia and symptoms related to chronic pain.
DOSING:Amitriptyline may be taken with or without food. Amitriptyline is metabolized by the liver and should be used with caution in patients with liver dysfunction.
DRUG INTERACTIONS:Amitriptyline should not be used with monoamine oxidase inhibiting drugs. High fever, convulsions and even death can occur when these two drugs are used together. Epinephrine should not be used with amitriptyline, since together they can cause severe high blood pressure. Amitriptyline is used with caution in patients with seizures, since it can increase the risk of seizures. Amitriptyline is used with caution in patients with prostate enlargement because of risk of urine retention. Amitriptyline can cause elevated pressure in the eyes of certain patients with glaucoma. Alcohol blocks the antidepressant action of amitriptyline but increases its sedative effect. Amitriptyline can aggravate paranoid symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, and increase symptoms of mania in patients with manic-depressive disease. Cimetidine(Tagamet) can increase blood levels of amitriptyline and its side effects. Overdose with amitriptyline can cause life threatening abnormal heart rhythms. The sedative effect of the medication can possibly impair the mental and physical abilities required for driving or operating machinery.
PREGNANCY: Safety in pregnancy and children is not established.
NURSING MOTHERS:Amitriptyline is secreted in human milk, and potentially can adversely affect the nursing infant.
SIDE EFFECTS:Sometimes troublesome side effects include fast heart rate, blurred vision, urinary retention, dry mouth, constipation, weight gain or loss, and low blood pressureon standing. Rash, hives, seizures, and hepatitis are rare side effects.
"If antidepressants are discontinued abruptly, symptoms may occur such as dizziness, headache, nausea, changes in mood, or changes in the sense of smell, taste, etc. (Such symptoms even may occur when even a few doses of antidepressant are missed.) Therefore, it is recommended that the dose of antidepressant be reduced gradually when therapy is discontinued.
I hope that I have been helpful to you Vicky. If you need any more information or research..please let me know!!
Peace and Blessings
Saysusie :lol: